Sleeve press



April 6, 1943. E. DAVIS 2,315,690

SLEEVE PRESS Filed July 30, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 o n n 3 g N 5 A d 2 f u N B i 5 n N ."2 g m n nag; II; F m .21

q o Q INVENTOR.

. "I'm ERNEST DA I A TTORNEYS.

April 6, 19 3- E. DAVIS 2,315,690

SLEEVE PRES S Filed July 30, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 '2 "7 -;T"' r maximu ,1 I IE (9 WWII! LL- 2 in Q n w U- N ITT\\ INVENTOR. ERNEST DAVIS A TTORNEYS.

E. DAVIS SLEEVE PRESS April 6, 1943.

Filed July 30, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

INVENTOR. ERNEST DAVIS W Arrows/ s.

Patented Apr. 6, 1943 s am mass Ernest Davis, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to The Prosperit Company. a, corporation New York Syracuse, N. Y., a

Application July 30, 1941, Serial No. 404,692

2 Claims. (Cl. 223-57) This invention relates to garment and laundry presses, and particularly to presses for pressing tubular articles, as shirt sleeves and the like, and has for its object a construction by which a maximum area of the article is pressed in one operation, and then if desired, the entire area of the tubular article can be pressed in one more lay, two lays in all, with a minimum of re-arranging or turning of the tubular article on the pressing element. More specifically, it has for its object a pressing machine in which the pressing elements on which the article is initially sleeved is channel-shaped or V-shaped in general cient means for effecting the expansion of said.

sides.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed. I

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate correspondingparts in all the views.

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a front elevation and a side elevation, both partly broken away and partly in section, of a pressing machine embodying this invention.

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the lower pressing element on the buck on which the tubular article is sleeved.

Figure 4 is an end view looking to the left in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on line 5--5, Figure 3. i Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66, Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on line 1-1, Figure 5.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 are, respectively, a side elevation of the expansible pressing element with the article sleeved thereon; and end views looking to the left in Figure 8, Figure 9 showing the position of the sides of the lower pressing element before the sides are expanded, and Figure 10, after they are expanded in pressing position.

This machine for pressing tubular fabric articles comprises, generally, cooperating pressing elements having relative opening and closing movement, on one of which elements the article to be pressed is sleeved. these elements being substantially channel-shaped in cross section in the general form of a V or the lower pressing element on which the tubular article is sleeved fitting within the upper pressing element, and with the sides of the channel or V formation of the lower pressing element being xpansible outwardly to effect the pressing operation in cooperation with the upper pressing element, mechanism for effecting the relative opening and closing movement and expanding the sides of the lower pressing element outwardly. The sides of the pressing elements are of such extent or area as to press the greater part of the tubular article in one lay.

I designates the lower pressing element or buck, and 2 the upper pressing element or head. The lower pressing element i is supported by a bracket 3 on the frame 4 here shown as in the form of a pedestal rising from a base 5. The pressing element l is so supported that the greater part of the same overhangs the table 6. The upper pressing element or head 2 is here shown as carried by the forward arm of a lever I. pivoted at 8 to an upright 9 rising from the frame.

The actuating mechanism for the head 2 or the lever I will be hereinafter described. The pressing elements I, 2 are complemental to each other and channel-shaped in general form, the

. channel being in the general form of a V or inverted V with the sides of the channel formation diverging. The sides 9 of the head 2 are substantially rigid or unyielding while the sides Ill of the lowerpressing element are mounted to expand outwardly, and are here shown as hinged together at like edges, or at their edges which are toward the apex portion of the V formation, by means of a hinge, as a piano hinge at H, the hinge leaf being large enough to provide a rounding pressing area at the apex of the V formation.

The pressing elements I, 2 are internally heated, as by steam, and as here shown, the lower pressing element 2 is formed with a hollow triangular shaped body or frame [2 in which the hinge pin ll of the piano hinge is mounted. Also, at the outer end of the frame, that is, the end remote from the supporting bracket 3, the frame is provided with a rounding prow or nose I 3, for facilitating the drawing of a damp tubular article onto the lower pressing element.

The lower element I with the exception of the nose i3 is covered with a suitable padding H.

The lower edges of the expansible sides I are provided with inturned flanges IS.

The lower pressing element l is heated by,

smoothing it on the buck l, means, as the chain C, is provided suspended below the buck I and secured at one end at I! to the nose I 3 and at its other end at l8 to the bracket 3. This chain compensates for sleeves of different sizes or diameter and different tapers. The links of the chain serve as individual gravity weights tending to take up the slack of the sleeve evenly throughout its length, regardless of the diameter and taper of the sleeve. The chain per se forms no part of this invention. For the purpose of facilitating the arranging of the damp sleeved article on the buck! or the padding thereof, a suitable holder or clamp is provided for coacting with the nose i3.

I9 designates generally the cufi clamp carried by an arm 28 pivoted on an axis coincident with that of the pivot 8, the cufi clamp having a handle 2 i When the tubular article has been sleeved on the buck, the ends of the cuff are brought together and the cuff clamp pulled down by means of the handle 2! to hold the cuff while the article is being arranged or smoothed on the buck. During the sleeving operation, the chain I8 performs its function of taking up the slack evenlythroughout the length of the sleeve. The head 2 is then brought down onto the buck i or the work thereon, and then the sides It expanded outwardly from the position shown in Figure 9 to that shown in Figure 10, so that the greater amount of the entire sleeve is pressed in one lay and operation, the remaining part hanging below the buck I. To press this part, it is merely necessary to open the machine and turn the sleeve only a short distance, sufficient to bring the unironed slack portion onto the pressing face of the buck l. The press isthen again closed. The turning movement of the sleeve necessary to press the original slack is very slight and not.

sufllcient to cause undue twisting of the sleeve at the shoulder of the shirt.

The mechanism for expanding the sides iii of the lower pressing element I is here shown as a member or rod 22 slidable lengthwise of the buck i between the sides i0 thereof through a guide tube 23 extending through the steam chamber of the body 12, this rod extending at the bracket end into the bracket 3, which is hollow and also extending into a recess 24 formed in the lower side of the body l2 or frame of the buck I, the recess 24 being located between the ends of the buck I. The rod 22 within this recess is provided with a cam or wedge 25, best seen in Figure 7, which co-acts with followers or rollers 26 on the expansible sides Ill. The expanding action is against suitable returning means, as springs 21, each connected at its opposite ends to one of the sides ill, the springs being tensioned during the expanding action. Obviously, as the rod 22 is moved inwardly, the wedge or cam 25 will press the followers and hence the sides l0 outwardly, tensioning the springs 27.

The mechanism for effecting the opening and closing movement of the press and the expanding of the sides 10 of the lower pressing element I, as here shown, comprises a cylinder 28 mounted in the pedestal 4, and a piston 29 movable therein, and having its rod 30 connected at 3! to one link of the toggle 32 which is pivoted at one end at 33 to the frame within the same, the other link 84 of the toggle being pivoted at II to the end of the head-carrying lever 1. The

closing of the press is against the action of counter springs 38 and 31 connected respectively to the lever 1 and to the link 32 of the toggle. The rod 22 may be actuated in any suitable manner, it being here shown as actuated by a cylinder 38 having apiston 39 therein, the rod 40 of which is pivoted at 4| to one arm of a lever 42 pivoted at 43 within the bracket 3, the other arm of the lever being articulated at 44 to the end of the rod 22 located within the bracket 3. The movement of the lever is against suitable returning spring 45.

The flow of motive fluid, as compressed air, to and from the cylinders 28 and 39 is controlled by any suitable mechanism, preferably two hand control mechanism being shown. The two hand control mechanism operates to first permit air to enter the cylinder 28 through a port d6, actuating the piston therein to close the head 2 down toward the buck i. When the head 2 is closed down over the buck i in a preliminarily closed position, the piston 29 passes a port it in the side of the cylinder 28, permitting air to pass through a pipe 50 to the intake port 5i of the cylinder 38 to actuate the piston therein, causing it, through the lever 42, to move the rod 22 to the right (Figures 1 and '7) and cause the wedge or cam 25 to press the followers 2'5 apart and hence move the expansible sides 56 of the buck into position shown in Figure 10, efiecting the pressing operation. The passage of the air through the pipe 50 also operates, through diaphragm chambers 52, 53 to lock the valves 54, 55 operated by the manuals 56, 5'! of the two hand control in their operated position. To open the press, either one of a pair of release levers 58 is operated to release the air from the diaphragm chambers 52, 53. This release operation permits the valves 54, 55 to return to their normal positions, so that the air is free to exhaust from both cylinders 28 and 3t and the press to open under the reaction of the springs 36, 3i and also the sides of the buck i to contract inwardly under the reaction of the springs 21?, due to the withdrawal of the rod 22 and cam 25 to the left by the spring 45. Immediately upon the operation of the release lever, the exhaust of air from the cylinder 28 is simultaneous with the release of the valve operated by the control manual, so that the sides It! of the buck i are contracted before any appreciable opening of the head 2 has taken place.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine for pressing tubular fabric articles, complemental cooperating pressing elements having relative opening and closing movement, on one of which elements the article is sleeved, said elements being elongated so that a comparatively long article may be sleeved on ment on which the article is sleeved, between said inclined sides,'and having an endwise operating movement, and connections between the sides and operated by said member to expand said sides, said member and connections being housed entirely within the element on which the garment is sleeved in order to permit sleeving of the article on said element.

2. In a machine for pressing tubular fabric articles, complemental cooperating pressing elements having relative opening and closing movement, on one of which elements the article is sleeved, said elements being elongated so that a comparatively long article may be sleeved on one of the elements with a portion hanging under said element, said elements having outwardly inclined sides extending in the general direction of the opening and closing movement and the sides of the element on which the article is sleeved being hinged at like lengthwise edges and diverging from each other from their hinged edges and being expansible outward, means for effecting the relative opening and closing movement and the expanding hinging movement of said sides, comprising an endwisely movable member extending lengthwise of the element on which the article is sleeved between said sides, a cam operated thereby, and followers on said sides coacting with the cam, said endwisely movable member, cam and followers being located entirely within the expansible element in order to permit the article to be sleeved on said element.

ERNEST DAVIS. 

